Check out state parks.
National parks have gotten more crowded in recent years, driving up the cost of nearby lodging and food. State parks, on the other hand, can offer equally stunning natural beauty without the throngs of tourists—or the high prices that accompany them. Visit during the week for even thinner crowds. Two to check out: Starved Rock State Park in Illinois and Elephant Butte Lake State Park in New Mexico. Search for parks by state and see maps at StateParks.org.

Score cheap lodgings.
Check out the HotelTonight app or website for discounted last-minute hotel rooms. Recent deals on the site included a deluxe Los Angeles hotel room for 44 percent off the listed price, and hotel rooms in Branson, Missouri, for $50 or less. Or try RedWeek, which connects travelers with individual timeshare owners hoping to rent or sell their resort weeks.

Get the senior discount on train travel.
 If you’re traveling by rail, Amtrak has a 10 percent discount on most fares for travelers 65 and older, and Grand Canyon Railway has a 15 percent discount for travelers 62 and up. Eurail takes 10 percent off tickets for those 60 and older, who can also get a Senior Railcard in the United Kingdom for one-third off.

Wait until after Labor Day.
Kids will be back in school, and tourist season will have ended in many places. A Hopper analysis last year found that flights in September and October were 29 percent lower than summer peak airfare.

Bundle tickets to attractions.
If you plan to hit several of the top sites in a region, save up to 50 percent by purchasing bundled admissions through deals such as the Boston Go City Pass, which can get you into the Paul Revere House, a Fenway Park tour and the Salem Witch Museum; or the Miami Sightseeing Pass, which can include access to the Miami Seaquarium, Everglades Holiday Park and Zoo Miami. Check out CityPass.com or GoCity.com and search by city to see what’s available.